Woman arrested in Riverhead raid sentenced up to 3 years
A Mastic woman with ties to Riverhead has been sentenced to 1 1/2 to 3 years in jail after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge stemming from an East End Drugs Task Force bust earlier this year.
Kotarra Jackson was sentenced before Suffolk County Judge Mark Cohen Tuesday, according to the District Attorney’s Office. The maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge was 2 to 4 years, a spokesperson had said.
Ms. Jackson was arrested as part of a multi-year investigation into drug activity in the Riverhead area, specifically a property on Lewis Street District Attorney Thomas Spota called an open-air drug market.
The investigation was a comprehensive effort, including informants, undercover agents, cell phone taps and hidden surveillance cameras.
Prosecutors said Ms. Jackson — a Riverhead native — claimed to be the “highest ranking female Blood” in the state. Her lawyer, Harry Tilis, vehemently denied the accusation in February.
Ms. Jackson had previously served time at the Albion Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in Orleans County, for drug sales and possession, state records show.
